


Tomorrow may rain, but I'll follow the sun

by HannahPelham



Series: Midsomer Loving [2]
Category: Midsomer Murders - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-10-28 03:36:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17779832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HannahPelham/pseuds/HannahPelham
Summary: Charlie and Anya's sneaking around begins to falter





	Tomorrow may rain, but I'll follow the sun

Anya stood staring out of her kitchen window, dressing gown pulled tight around her. Underneath, she wore one of Charlie’s t-shirts and a pair of his boxers she’d stolen last time she was at his house, not that there was much there anymore. Charlie effectively lived with her, and she didn’t mind one bit. She blew her nose as she watched the rain pour outside, making the winter day seem even more grey. She sipped the tea she’d made, and tried to eat a slice of toast. She’d come down with flu, and had no appetite. Charlie kept telling her she needed to eat, otherwise she’d feel even worse, but it took all her strength to get it down, and keep it down. 

Charlie had been on a stakeout all night in the rain, so he’d be back any minute, exhausted and, if he’d been suspect chasing, soaked. Anya settled herself under a blanket on the sofa, and waited for him. 

She was already fast asleep when he walked in, suitably tired and wet, half an hour later. 

“I’m back!” Charlie shouted as he shut the door, hanging his coat up by the door. Anya stirred on the sofa, and smiled weakly at him as he walked into the room and saw her half asleep. 

“Sorry love, did I wake you?” Charlie asked apologetically. He made his way over to the sofa, and sat down next to her. 

“No harm done” Anya replied, leaning her head against his shoulder. Charlie stroked her hair as she began to sleep again. 

They woke up a few hours later, Charlie having crashed out not long after Anya, exhausted from his stakeout with DCI Barnaby. He’d been over in Midsomer Vinae, and the drive back had been more exhausting than the stakeout, the winding country roads difficult to drive after a night of no sleep. 

“Go to bed, Charlie. Get some proper sleep” Anya whispered as she made eye contact with the man next to her. 

“I’m alright - lunch?” Charlie replied, looking at his watch. Anya nodded, and watched from her position on the sofa as Charlie ran upstairs to get changed before he got started on making their lunch. 

They were halfway through their lunch when there was a knock on the door. Anya pulled on the jumper Charlie had discarded on one of the dining room chairs, and opened the door to find John and Sarah Barnaby. 

“Hello Anya, we just wanted to see how you were?” Sarah asked, handing over a bar of chocolate and a packet of cold and flu medication. It took a moment, but John soon noticed her attire. 

“Anya, is that one of Charlie’s jumpers?” He asked. The Barnabys had had their suspicions about the nature of Charlie and Anya’s relationship for a while. Before Anya could fumble an answer, Charlie shouted from the kitchen, oblivious to the conversation happening by the front door. 

“Who is it, love?” 

That gave the game away. 

“Come in you two, we better explain” Anya said, stepping out of the way so John and Sarah could listen to Charlie and Anya’s explanation for keeping their relationship a secret. 

Anya settled back into her nest on the sofa, Charlie next to her. They smirked at each other, trying to work out what the other was going to say when probed about their relationship. Sarah could be protective of Anya, and John of Charlie. 

“So?” John prompted, raising his eyebrows at the couple. Charlie’s arm made its way around Anya’s shoulders protectively.

“So…” Charlie started, faltering at the first hurdle. 

“How long?”

“6 months”

“6 months?!?” John practically shouted, before Sarah placed a gentle hand on his arm, as a comfort and as a warning. 

“Yeah…” 

“Any particular reason you didn’t tell us?” Sarah asked gently, trying to calm John down. She knew he was protective of his Sergeant, but she didn’t realise it was to such an extent. 

“Didn’t want you interfering?” Charlie tried to argue. 

“Not good enough. Try again.” John replied quickly. 

“We wanted to make sure it was something serious before we told anybody, after…” Anya started, trailing off after she realised what she was about to say. 

“After?” John probed gently. 

“I left Hawaii because I was jilted at the altar. I was, understandably I think, a bit nervous getting into a new relationship. I wanted to be sure” Anya explained

“Gosh, I had no idea” Sarah whispered, looking sympathetically at her friend, who smiled weakly back at her. 

“You three are the only people in England who know” The younger woman whispered. 

“And you’re happy now?” Sarah continued, giving John a look to tell him to be quiet. He obliged, not wishing to anger his most beloved wife. 

“Tremendously so” Anya replied, smiling over at Charlie widely. 

“He’s treating you right?” 

“He is. He’s wonderful” 

“Have you ever been described as wonderful, Nelson?” John joked, raising his eyebrows at his Sergeant. Charlie just rolled his eyes and sighed. 

“Thanks sir, appreciate it” He replied. 

“You’re welcome. Just checking you’re being good to her” The older man said, smiling fondly at the young couple. 

“Of course I am. I love her” Charlie replied, a tad defensive. His arm around Anya’s shoulder pulled her closer, so her head rested on his shoulder. 

“I love him quite a lot too” Anya said, reaching up to kiss Charlie’s cheek. Charlie just blushed. 

The next week, once Anya was better and Charlie had caught up on sleep, the couple were invited for dinner at the Barnabys with Kate. Kate had known about Charlie and Anya’s relationship since the beginning. The two women were close, especially after Kate had caught Anya sneaking out of the house after a (not exactly quiet) night spent with Charlie. 

Charlie and Anya walked up to the door, hand in hand. They were both secretly thrilled they could do this now - no more hiding and pretending they were just friends when at dinner with the Barnabys. Sarah had already begun to joke about double dates with Kate looking after Betty and Sykes. Anya had agreed to the idea on behalf of the both of them, Charlie didn’t need to know. In her spare hand, Anya carried a book and a bunch of flowers for Sarah, and Charlie carried a bottle of wine to have with dinner. They knocked on the door, and were pleasantly surprised to find Sarah behind it, Betty in her arms. Anya immediately took Betty for a cuddle, leaving Charlie to give Sarah the small gifts and sort their things out. Sarah and Charlie looked at each other with a grimace - they both knew how broody Anya got around Betty. 

They all settled on the sofas as dinner bubbled away on the stove, waiting for Kate to arrive. Charlie and Anya sat on the smaller of the two sofas, Betty balanced on their knees. Anya was cooing to the little girl, who was utterly fascinated by the young couple playing with her. When she’d been born, she’d immediately taken to Charlie, his kind face seeming inviting to the newborn Betty. She’d taken to Anya almost as quickly, always laughing and gurgling when the young woman was around. Anya and Charlie, well, it was a winning combination as far as Betty Barnaby was concerned. 

When Kate arrived, Charlie’s arm was slung over the back of the sofa behind his girlfriend, who held a sleeping Betty, having just had her bottle courtesy of Uncle Charlie and Auntie Anya. Kate smirked as she slipped past and into the kitchen unnoticed. 

“They’ll be engaged before the year is out” Kate whispered as she reached Sarah, who was leaning against the counter, watching her young friends dote over her daughter. 

“She’ll be nervous, after what happened last time” Sarah replied, smiling sympathetically. She’d been having the same thoughts about where Charlie and Anya’s relationship was going. 

“He’ll be nervous! He won’t believe his luck when she says yes” Kate said. 

“When?” John asked from the other side of the kitchen, having eavesdropped on the women’s conversation. 

“Look at them John, that’s true love” Kate answered, looking over towards the DCI with a smirk on her face. 

Betty was put to bed, much to Anya’s dismay, and dinner was eaten. The teasing was mild...to start with. 

“So Anya, does Charlie make you scream as loud at your house as he does at ours?” Kate asked after a few glasses of wine. Charlie’s eyes looked like they were going to pop out of his head. Anya just smirked. 

“Louder” She replied, leaning into Kate, holding Charlie’s hand. The girls, quite drunk by that point, burst out laughing. Charlie and John left them to it, making their way into the living room where they could get some peace and quiet. 

Charlie dragged Anya home, and tried to get her to drink some water before she went to bed. She didn’t. She grabbed hold of his arm and they collapsed into bed, clothes strewn all over the room. Charlie glanced over at his drunk girlfriend, and realised he wasn’t going to love anybody else as much as he loved her.


End file.
